


Moments

by stxrwxrs



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, DameRey, F/M, Finn makes coffee and hot chocolate, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, IT'S SO MUCH FLUFF, JediPilot, Lots of nicknames, Modern AU, Poe is a flirt, Poe makes breakfast, Rey just sleeps in, and plays guitar, like one angst moment ever, the trio are roommates!au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-19
Updated: 2016-03-07
Packaged: 2018-05-21 14:51:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6055627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stxrwxrs/pseuds/stxrwxrs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They're silent waves crashing into each other. His gaze fixed on her, she's in awe of him. These are the moments they live together, in a silly three bedroom apartment in New York City.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. of dancing in the kitchen & first kisses

**Author's Note:**

> SO MUCH FLUFF. I love Damerey so much, feel free to check out my Poe&Rey playlist on 8tracks!!

 The haze of mornings in New York during the winter are part of what keeps him going. It’s waking up, blankets wrapped tight around his body, the smell of hot coffee drifting from the kitchen, the fogged up windows and snow surrounding every street corner. Poe lives for this. 

 Finn is already awake, a morning person since his early childhood. The man still in bed appreciates this, their routine consisting on Finn waking up first to make the essential pot of coffee. After that, Poe makes breakfast. Scrambled eggs and bacon for himself, pancakes for Finn, and fruit for their third roommate, Rey. She sleeps the latest, they alternate every morning on who wakes the poor girl up. 

 Poe pushes himself away from his warm mattress, his sheets still tugging at his legs. It’s a nice Saturday to sleep in, but they are things to do. When he stumbles into the living room, still groggy, he’s greeted by Finn, (“‘morning Poe!”, “‘Good Morning, buddy,”) who is flipping between the news and early morning cartoons. They’ll settle on the home renovation channel once they all sit down for breakfast, it’s a tradition, it’s what they always do. 

“Is it your morning or mine?” Finn turns to the man in front of the stove once he’s assembled most of their meal. 

 Poe finishes unraveling an orange peel and looks at the clock, “I think it’s mine.” He shoves his hand under the water faucet and then into a towel before leaving the fruit behind him.

 Rey’s room is his favorite. It’s light, warm, the atmosphere so calming; it all reflects her. The young woman is deep within her nest of blankets, stuffed into a heavy cocoon. Waking her up had been a trial and error situation up until a few months ago, when the two men had finally learned how to not only wake the girl up but also convince her to leave her bird’s nest. 

 “Rey,” Poe whispers. She stirs quietly, a light sleeper. “Rey, hey, it’s time to get up, princess,” he softly nudges her. 

“No,” Rey moans and turns over to submerge her face in her pillow. 

 The man smiles and draws a finger up and down her back, “hey, breakfast is ready.” It’s such a relaxing feeling that Rey almost pulls her roommate onto her bed so he can just draw on her back for the rest of eternity. 

 “C’mon angel,” his hand moves from her torso to her arm as he begins to yank her up, using his other hand to peel away every layer of blankets. 

“Is there fruit?” she asks, her voice still rusty from its little use in the past hours. 

 Poe lets out a small laugh as he finally finds her body, baggy NYU sweater and yoga pants clad. “Of course, grapefruit and strawberries and blueberries and all the other fruits in the world, all for you,” he chimes. 

 “Okay,” she sighs in defeat and rolls back over to face him. He can’t help but smile once their eyes meet, she’s his best friend and the most beautiful person he knows. 

 “Good morning sunshine,” he chuckles. Rey swats his hands away and pulls herself up into a sitting position. 

“Good morning, Poe,” she yawns. 

 The two emerge from the girl’s room, Rey sporting a blanket as a cape around her shoulders and she heads straight for the couch, leaning against an armrest. 

“‘Morning peanut!” Finn greets. She echoes the phrase right back to him. 

 Just as Rey feels her body drifting back into sleep, Poe sets a bowl onto her lap and a cup of coffee in front of her. “Thanks, man,” Finn grins as he cuts his pancakes. Poe takes his own place on the couch opposite of her, spreading some sort of jam onto his toast. 

 Her bowl is full of her favorite fruits and berries, a few nuts for protein as Poe worries over her eating habits as if her own mother. She eats graciously, laughing at her roommates’ criticism of floorplans and tile choices once they settle on their regular channel. 

 The three of them are inseparable, and have been for the past year. Fate brought them together when Poe’s old roommates moved out and left him alone to pay rent on a three bedroom apartment. He’d left an ad, answered a few days later by Finn. Rey had come a month later at Finn’s invitation; they’d met freshman year of college. Now one is rarely seen without  another.

 Beyond that, the trip work together. Rey and Finn double as interns and students, picking up jobs at the same place Poe has been employed for the past three years, post graduation. 

“What’s on the agenda for today?” Poe shoves his last mound of eggs into his mouth. 

 Rey silently shrugs and Finn makes a move towards the maple syrup, “I gotta hit the gym, I skipped leg day because of Jessika’s birthday party. I’ll head out soon for that.” 

 “What about you?” Rey asks, British accent still in tact, beautiful from her childhood years in England. 

 “I’m here all day, whatever you wanna do, princess.”  His nicknames for her never fail to make her feel warm, she knows he does it for everyone, he can’t help it, but there’s something about the way he calls to her that makes her feel like she’s special. He’d probably tell her she is. 

 Rey bites her lip, heavy in thought, “I was thinking about putting some of those pictures we took up on my corkboard, you could help me with that.” 

The man’s smile is contagious, “I’d love to.” 

 A few hours later the lazy daze from the early morning wears off and Finn heads off to the gym. Rey still refuses to change out of her pajamas and Poe doesn’t press the issue, still wearing sweats and a black t-shirt himself. 

 The brunette woman pulls out a folder, polaroids spilling out as soon as she opens it. Poe picks one up off the floor in her room. The picture is labeled “Rey ‘16” in permanent marker towards the bottom, but that’s not what catches his eye. It’s a close up of her face, blurry, but still radiant. Her eyes are brimming with life and her smile causes his breath to hitch for a moment. 

“When was this?” he asks.

  Rey takes the picture from him to examine, “Jessika’s party I think,” she carries the folder to her bed and begins digging through it, “can you take the old ones off the board?” 

 Poe nods and starts pulling tacks out of delicate frames, mindlessly working until Rey loudly gasps from where she sits. “What?” Poe turns. 

 She’s still, holding a singular photograph up so she can see it thoroughly, Poe can read the hurt on her face. “Rey, what is it?” the man starts making his way towards her. 

 “I thought I got rid out all my pictures of him,” Rey murmurs to herself, leaning back against her headboard. 

 Poe places hand on her shoulder and pleads for her attention. “Ben,” she frowns, passing the polaroid to him. Just the sound of his name makes Poe’s blood boil. He had never wanted to beat a man so badly before until the week of the break-up, when Rey came home spilling with tears. She’d been involved with him last year, right before he got involved with the wrong people. The anger lingers in him, bitter against his tongue, but she looks to him and he softens. 

 “Ah,”” Poe takes the picture with one hand and loops his free arm around her, “I’m sorry, sweetheart.” 

 She sighs, “don’t be, it was a while ago, I’m over it.” Still, she leans into his comfort as memories flood upon her, drowning her in words long forgotten. 

 “Hey,” Poe sets the photograph onto her dresser and shifts so that his chin is on top of her head. His fingers run through her hair, “you’re okay. That’s over now, you’re fine.” 

 Rey nods as she rubs her eyes, syncing her breathing with his and counting the number of heartbeats she can feel from his chest. 

 “I’ll throw it away for you, princess,” he offers and she nods again. A silence, thick, descends upon the two until an idea strikes Poe. 

 Her roommate gently sets her head back against her headboard and gathers a few polaroids he’s personally chosen before sitting back down on her bed next to her. “Look at these,” he nudges her. 

 Laid out next to her are his favorite pictures, the collection is beautiful; Finn and Rey leaning against each other and laughing, Poe in his most fancy suit for a party long ago, Rey and Jessika dancing in Time’s Square, Finn and Poe toasting glasses of champagne, Rey’s beautiful close-up. The last one is of both of them, Poe’s guitar on his lap, he’s smiling at her, Rey’s mouth is open, formed in the shape of a word she can’t make out, they’re singing together. 

“I remember this,” Rey smiles softly and picks up the frozen memory. 

“That was a good day,” their eyes meet, his warm gaze washing over her, “c’mon, let’s put these up.” 

He picks the discarded picture off the dresser and rips it, “good?” he asks. 

“Great.”

 

 That night Finn texts his roommates, letting them know that he’s been called into work for a few extra hours to finish up a project. Poe calls in pizza and sets up a movie for him and Rey. 

“What’s the occasion?” she laughs. 

“Saturday night,” he flaunts his signature grin. She swears his charm and dazzling charisma could melt anyone on Earth. 

 Rey stands and checks her watch, “do I have time to shower real quick?” She’s been too lazy all morning and afternoon to even brush her hair, let alone bathe. 

“Take all the time you need, sunshine,” his phone buzzes and he walks out of the living room to answer it. 

 She slips into the bathroom, groaning before letting the water run once she realizes she’s forgotten to grab a shirt to change into. Rey’s about to trudge back into her bedroom until the young girl notices one of Poe’s shirts lying on the counter.  “Poe?” she calls out, sticking her head out to catch his attention, “hey can I borrow this shirt?”  _ He probably won't mind.  _

 He doesn’t notice her, too invested in whoever’s on the other line of his call. She takes his silence as a yes.

 Rey takes quick showers, growing up in barely surviving financial situation, she doesn’t take more than she needs to, of anything. She pulls the shirt over her body once she’s out, the material falling just below her thighs. It smells like him, cologne, campfire, pine needles, he’s so comforting. 

 After ringing her hair out, Rey steps into the living room to see Poe sprawled on one of their couches, guitar in his arms, quietly singing along to his own melody. 

“That’s my favorite one that you play,” Rey smiles as she runs her fingers through her brunette tresses. 

 Poe smirks and shifts into a new chord, so smooth in his movements that he doesn’t look up to his roommate to reply, “why’s that?”            

“It’s so soothing.” 

“You’re soothing, princess.” 

 Rey blushes, remembering that she is very much wearing  _ his  _ shirt right now, she is wearing his shirt and they are alone and he is playing a beautiful song on his guitar and singing with his beautiful voice and calling her princess. She brushes it away as quick as she can.  _ Friends.  _

 “Did you pick out a movie?” Rey clears her throat and turns her attention towards the television. 

 He looks up for the first time, studying her in depth with his eyes. His gaze flickers from her face to her torso and he bites his bottom lip.

She realizes what he's staring at and she turns crimson,  “I tried to ask for permission but you were busy,” her cheeks sting, maybe this was a bad idea, too far, even for friends. “I forgot a shirt and it was right there,” Rey’s stumbling with her words now. 

 Poe’s lips twist into a smile and he laughs, “you look better in it than I do, and I do look pretty good in that one.” 

“Yeah,” Rey awkwardly laughs, she’s never been so stunned around Poe like this before. “Um, would you like me to take it off?” 

 He has to hold his tongue before a suggestive comment slides out of his mouth like it normally would, he can tell she’s embarrassed, it’d be wrong of him to further that. Though still, a part of him wants to give her a suggestive comment and a wink. “Sweetheart, keep it on,” he makes room and gestures for her to join him on the couch. 

 Rey sits two spaces away from him, his shirt is so big on her small frame that the material covers her shorts. Poe can’t deny it’s a good look for her. 

“Movie?” Rey asks again, pulling on her polka-dotted high socks. 

 Poe blinks a few times and shakes his head, as if pulling himself out of a trance. “Right, it’s all set up, we’re just waiting on pizza.”

 He’s finding it harder and harder to concentrate when she's around, her presence blinds him. Even when they're apart, she makes her way into his head on a daily basis. It's driving him mad. 

 Dinner comes a few minutes later and Rey hears Poe’s charm shave a few dollars off the price. She laughs from her place on the couch at first until she hears exactly how flirtatious he is being with the delivery girl. 

“Thank you, beautiful!” he calls after her as he shuts the door. “Pizza’s here, sunshine,” he smiles at Rey. 

 She frowns at him and waits as he brings a plate to her. “Hey, what’s up? You look upset,” Poe furrows his brow. 

“I’m not upset,” Rey shrugs, “I’m going to get a few blankets.” The girl rises and jogs to her room, grabbing as many pillows and blankets as her arms can handle. Poe’s arms are bigger, dang it, she should have had him do it. Upon returning back to the living area, Rey’s foot gets caught on one of her blanket’s dragging against the floor and she trips, yelping as she hits the ground. 

   “Rey?” Poe runs over and crouches beside her. She grits her teeth. “Sunshine, are you okay?” 

“I’m fine,” Rey huffs, “why do you keep insisting on calling me that?”

“What? Because you’re my Rey of sunshine,” a boyish grin creeps onto his features, obviously proud of the pun. 

 Rey pushes herself into a sitting position, rubbing her arm where it hit the ground, “what about the other ones?” 

“Other ones?” 

“You call me all those - pet names - I don’t know why. You just use them on everyone you meet,” fixes her focus away from his face as he stares intently at her. His gaze doesn’t waver, he’s giving her his full attention. 

 “You mean like ‘princess’? It’s just- oh, I understand,” Poe stands and reaches his hand out to her, “I see what this is about.” 

 Rey takes his hand and is pulled back up to her feet, “what?” She’s still frowning, he’s full-on smirking now, slyly, as if he knows something she doesn’t. 

“Rey, does it bother you that I call other girls ‘princess’?” she almost curses him out, “are you jealous, sunshine?” 

 The young girl makes a short noise of disgust and raises a pillow from the ground to hit him with. “Jealous?” she whacks him again “I’m not jealous of anyone you choose to use your ridiculous charm on.” 

 Poe laughs as he blocks her attacks with his arms, “ridiculous charm, sweetheart?” Now he’s just flirting with her intentionally, unashamed. 

 She hits him again and turns on her heels to walk away until she feels a soft blow to her back. Standing behind her is Poe Dameron, in all his beautiful glory, pillow in hand. “I don’t run away from a challenge, and I don’t think you do either, angel.” Then he’s chasing her and she can’t stop giggling at him jumping over the couch to get to her, throwing every pillow he can just to hit her. 

 Rey swings into her room to avoid his attack but is met by the deadend of her walls, she’s laughing too hard to fully examine her situation and think out a strong plan. Next thing she knows, he’s caught her and she’s fallen onto her bed. She quiets down as he moves a hand to the side of her face, “princess, don’t worry about anyone else,” his thumb is now running up and down her skin, “after all, you’re the one wearing my shirt,” it’s all too quick but he presses his lips against her cheek and then pulls away, pushing himself away from her. 

He winks at her and nods back to the living room. 

She wants to curse him out again. 

  
  


 The rest of their night is uneventful, they finish dinner and somehow Rey ends up from the other side of the couch to asleep on Poe’s should with his arm around her. This is just a normal physical connection between them, she muses when he shakes her gently and softly awake. Finn and Poe pull her into hugs and put their arms around her all the time. Yet something feels different again. 

 “Finn’s on his way home, it’s late, bedtime for you,” Poe smiles and hoists her up in his arms bridal style. She replies with something he can’t make out, her mind is too fogged up with sleep to speak properly. “I know it,” he says sarcastically, her arms tighten around her neck. 

 “Goodnight, sweetheart,” Poe kisses the top of her head as he sets her down in her bed, leaving before she can reply.

 Her night is restless. Darkness descends upon her dreams, twisting her reality into something she can’t handle. She’s running, running, faster, faster, not fast enough. Rey wakes in a cold sweat, her sheets twisted around her entire body in her subconsciousness’ attempt to save herself. She stumbles out of bed and drags herself to the kitchen for water and a rag to wipe the sweat. 

 “Rey?” Poe’s on the couch, a small light on as he scribbles something in his notebook. He throws it aside as soon as he sees she’s distressed, running to her. “What’s wrong? What happened? Rey, are you okay?” 

 She can’t get herself to speak, her mouth opens to form words, but she can’t reach them. Rey leans into his chest right as her mind catches up with her and her eyes spring with tears. She’s sobbing and he’s freaking out, rubbing circles on her back and whispering soothing words. Poe picks her up and carries her to the couch, holding her tight against him as she sobs. 

 Finn jogs in, concern all over his face. “ _ I’ve got it, _ ” Poe mouths and gives him a thumbs up. The other roommate nods and returns back to his room. 

“Rey, love, can you please tell me what happened?” his lips are in her hair.

 “Nightmare,” she chokes out, burying her head further into his chest. He doesn’t make her say anymore than that, simply running hands across her back, whispering how loved and safe she is into her hair. 

 It’s not until her eyes are dry that she realizes her cheek is pressed up against his bare skin. He’s shirtless. Poe doesn’t think twice about being half naked  in front of her, he and Finn have drifted around the house in only boxers before. The shirtless man cradles Rey’s body, gently, softly. 

   Bright flashes of her terrors echo on the hollow walls of her exhausted mind. She heaves again with new tears. 

 “ _ You are my sunshine _ ,” he begins to sing, his voice smoky and deep, “ _ my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey, you’ll never know, dear, how much I love you _ ,” he pauses and Rey pulls away to meet his gaze,  _ “please don’t take my sunshine, a-Rey _ .” Poe chuckles quietly at his own pun and she smiles, through her blotchy eyes, returning back to her place on his chest.

 “That was bad,” she scoffs. Poe runs his fingers along her hairline, his fingertips spinning at the nape of her neck.

 Rey breathes him in, takes in the atmosphere, tracing lazy circles on one of his arms around her frame. “I think I’m okay now,” she whispers but he doesn’t budge, distantly humming their song, “Poe?” 

“Yes?” 

“Can you do something for me?” 

Poe shifts her chin so that they’re looking straight at each other, “I’d do anything for you, sweetheart.” 

 Rey faintly smiles, “can you sleep in my room tonight?” His face pulls into a bright grin and he nods, lifting her as he had hours before. She protests slightly at being carried again, but he gives her a stern look that makes her feel warm inside. He cares so much for her, his roommate that he didn’t know existed until a few months ago. 

 Poe places her back into her nest, slipping alongside her, curling his stomach against her back. He’s still shirtless and Rey blushes, thankful for the cloak of night to cover it. 

“Turns out that was my last clean night shirt,” he says quietly, gesturing to the material covering her body, as if reading her mind. 

They’re still for the first few moments, the quiet ambiance of her ceiling fan being the only noise in the room other than the traffic from nightlife on the streets below. Poe’s hands draw back to her, he’s running gentle waves against her torso. Rey sighs. rolling her shoulders back at his touch. 

He can’t keep his hands off her. And that worries him. 

 Rey eventually passes out not long after that, Poe protects her from bad dreams, shielding her from the dark nature of her nightmares. The man sleeps better than he has in ages.

  
  


 They awake to each other’s soft skin weaving in and out on each other. Poe can’t tell his legs from hers, his arms are strongly holding her against his chest, the feeling of her so close to his own exposed flesh makes his heart beat quicker. 

“Rey,” he nudges, “beautiful, c’mon, it’s time to wake up.”

 The young girl lets out a whine and burrows more into his arms, her ankles hooked around his. He pats down her hair, “it’s morning, we gotta go make breakfast and get ready for the day.” 

“You can,” her voice is muffled from her position against him. 

 “Not without you, c’mon Rey,” he curses himself as he rolls out of her embrace and sits up on the bed, she’s his friend.  _ She’s his friend. _ Though still, how he longs to be the man who will sleep beside her all her days and protect her from nightmares. To be the man who will keep her in bed all morning just so he can hold her tight in his arms, who will devote every song in his lungs to her, who will play with her hair and make her laugh with bad puns. How he longs to be  _ hers.  _ Poe quickly pulls himself from these thoughts, they’re friends. He shouldn’t think of her as anything more than that, he never has, but something about seeing her, brown hair spread out on her pillow, light from the window hitting her pale face and capturing the life in her eyes in just the right places, he melts. 

Rey pulls herself up alongside him, “thank you, Poe,” she leans against his shoulder. 

“Anytime, princess.”

  
  


 The week after, Rey gets up by herself. It’s a Sunday, meaning each roommate goes by their own schedule, but this morning is different. ‘Happy Valentine’s Day!’ a banner reads from above the television. Poe’s in the kitchen, heart shaped pancakes on the stove, Finn alongside him making chocolate covered strawberries. The two men laugh as Poe dances to the Latino music he has playing, hips moving perfectly to hit every beat. Finn tries to mimic his motions and fails miserably, but they laugh even harder. 

 Rey walks in on this, her eyebrows raised high as she watches Poe flip a pancake and then spin around rhythmically.

“Rey!” Finn greets, “you’re awake early, happy Valentine’s day, peanut!” They two exchange a side hug, while Poe is very much still consumed by his radio. 

“Good morning, princess,” he winks as he grabs her hand and spins her around, she giggles and goes with him. 

 Finn laughs along with his roommates and claps along, “Rey, there’s fruit in the ‘fridge,” she smiles graciously and pulls out a bowl. Rey begins piling blueberries in until Poe grabs her hands again and pulls her back into a new dance, singing loudly in Spanish as he twirls her around the kitchen and into the living room. Finn cheers and Rey laughs, being yanked against Poe and then pushed away from him, spinning. 

“Is this what you two do while I'm still asleep?” Rey grins. Poe bites his lip and guides her towards his chest, moving them both back into the kitchen. 

 The song slowly begins to fade out and Poe spins his roommate out of his arms for the last time, she almosts loses her breathe from laughter. 

“You’re such a dork,” Rey hums and Poe grins, eyes shimmering.

  
  


 The trio enjoys breakfast together, Finn and Rey planning for a fun Valentine’s Day in, Poe’s quiet. “What about you, Poe?” Rey asks, “won’t you be here?” The man doesn’t reply, taking another bite of food.

Finn smirks, “flyboy’s got a date tonight.” 

Rey almost choked on a berry, “what?” Something in her stomach drops, she tries not to frown, “who?” 

 “Well,” Poe finishes chewing and swallows, “this girl from work, you two wouldn't know her, she invited me out for drinks tonight, just for fun, I don’t know, I doubt it’ll go anywhere but I'm always up for drinks.” 

“You could’ve gotten drinks with us,” Rey says, defensively. 

Poe’s eyebrows shoot up, “how old are you?” 

 Rey rolls her eyes, “when have you ever worried about following the rules?” Poe doesn’t respond, simply making eye contact with Finn, as if they’re speaking in hushed tones so Rey can’t hear. 

Rey doesn’t say much for the rest of breakfast, Poe doesn’t either. 

 

 Hours later, Finn and Rey are only halfway into a Hallmark rom-com when Poe comes in, his hair brushed and clothes fitting perfectly. Finn makes a comment about how good he looks and Rey just absently nods; she swears she can see him frowning at her out of the corner of her eye, his gaze fixed strongly on her figure. 

 “Alright, I’ll see you both after,” the man says, grabbing his leather jacket off the couch and moving towards the door. He turns and looks expectantly one last time at her, as if she’s supposed to say something he’s scripted out. She doesn’t say anything. He leaves. 

 Finn makes a joke about something on screen and Rey laughs, even though she hasn’t been paying attention well enough to know what he’s talking about. Her thoughts linger on her other roommate and his perfect hair, his perfect leather jacket, his perfect singing and dancing, perfect everything. 

 Rey’s feels something in her twist when thinking of him sitting in a bar with another girl, picturing him gazing intently on a random woman, giving her his full attention as he so often gives to her. What if he actually likes her? If he moves out and moves in with her? Sleeps by her side and protects from her own nightmares, dances with her in the kitchen in the early morning, sings her songs and calls her sunshine?

Rey pulls her knees up to her chest and grits her teeth, she hates this, hates how much Poe slips in and out of her mind.  _ They’re friends. _

Poe comes home a couple hours later, Finn and Rey watching the ending of their last comedy. 

“There he is!” Finn smiles, “how was it? Anything crazy? Was she crazy?”

 Poe forces a fake a laugh and shakes his head, “it was fine, uneventful. How about here?” He climbs over the couch to sit in between his two roommates and closest friends. 

 Rey feels a sense of relief at seeing him like this, she’s secure. “We’ve literally been sitting here since you left,” she shrugs and bites into her eighth chocolate strawberry.

 “Sounds like a betters evening than mine,” he reaches for the bowl and eats one of the desserts himself. “I don't want the rest of this,” he looks at the strawberry and sticks it in front of Rey’s mouth. She rolls her eyes mockingly as she tries to take it out of his hands but he refuses to give it up. Her lips part and he directs the small delicacy inside. 

“Dork,” she laughs. 

 Poe smiles, genuinely for the first time tonight, and reaches his arms around Finn and Rey, “you two are the best out there.”

“Dang straight,” Finn smiles. 

 The group stays up for a few more hours, just babbling on everything and nothing all at once. These are the moments that matter. Finn retires for bed first, leaving Rey and Poe alone in the dimly lit living room listening to the unending music loop of a random movie’s menu screen   

 “Hey,” Poe whispers, voice low and thick like charcoal, “can I talk to you about what happened tonight?”

 Rey frowns, not really wanting to hear the details of her roommate’s date. “Okay,” she nods. 

 His hand betrays him, fingers running up to her arm and running small circles along her skin. “The first half was fine, I bought her a drink and we laughed about work,” he swallows, Rey inhales, “but then I realized I had no business being there, in a bar on Valentine’s Day with a washed-up coworker who I don't even know the last name of.”  

 His eyes flicker over her cheeks, her nose, her own eyes, her lips, he smiles faintly, “I just wanted to be here with you, Rey, watching dumb movies in sweat pants and listening to my Spanish music that you can't understand a word of.” 

 Rey furrows her brow, not breaking her gaze against his. “You're my favorite person in the world, sunshine,” he adds, grinning lightly. Rey tries to find the right words to string together, but she's not smooth; she's still learning. The girl just smiles back and leans into his chest, like she always does. 

 Poe wraps his arms around her and hums a song she doesn't recognize. 

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Rey,” he kisses her hair. 

“Happy Valentine’s, Poe,” she closes her eyes and drowns into all that they are. 

They happily drift off to their respective rooms for bed a little after that.  _ Maybe they’re not  _ **_just_ ** _ friends. _

 

It's the next Friday when a blizzard hits the city; Poe’s halfway home when the storm starts. Rey frantically calls him repeatedly, he's not answering. Finn grabs a jacket and swears he’ll go and find him himself, using Poe’s own car so greatly named BB-8. 

 Finn’s headed to the entryway when Poe jams his key in and nearly knocks the door down with sheer force. 

“Well,” Poe pants, “I hear it’s gotten a little cold outside today.” He's covered head to toe in melting snowflakes and white powder. 

“You're okay!” Finn sighs and runs back into the kitchen; Poe gives his roommate a weird look. 

 Rey sticks her tongue out as she hugs his large form, he pats her head. Finn turns the corner from the kitchen with a tray of mugs, “hot chocolate?”

 Poe cheers and grabs his cup and Rey’s hand, leading her to the living room. The man just about pulls his roommate into his lap, arms around her. “What're you doing?” Rey laughs.

 “I'm freezing and you're always warm,” he shrugs and leans into her body heat. 

 Finn takes a seat next to the two, handing Rey her own mug with just the amount of marshmallows in it. “Aw, you remembered,” she smiles at Finn, who beams back in pride. 

 They sit like for a while, basking in each other’s presence, content to stay stuck inside their little apartment forever if it stays just like this. Content, that is until Poe throws out the idea of a “pillow fort,” then it’s all hands on deck. 

 Poe drags his mattress from his room and tosses it to the floor, Rey throws pillows along the sides, Finn drapes blankets over the couch. “Teamwork makes the dreamwork!” Poe cheers as he strings lights from Rey’s room around the structure. 

 Rey’s the first to crawl in, followed quickly the other two. They all fall on each other, Rey’s head in Poe’s lap as he leans again Finn, who has Rey’s legs draped over his knees. The eldest runs his fingers through his roommate's brown hair, trying his best to braid it.

“I wanna sleep here tonight,” Rey sighs. 

“My mattress is here, so I guess I’m bound here too,” Poe and Finn laugh. 

  
  


 They stay together for another half hour until Finn passes out and Poe has to jostle him awake so he can make it to his room. “You and I again, princess,” her hair is spread out all through his lap now, he’s content just to twirl thin strands around his finger.

 “It always ends up  just you and I, doesn’t it?” Rey smiles and looks up to the man she’s leaning against, her grin widening when he leans his head down to see her, they’re upside down. 

 Silence fills their little fort and Rey’s never enjoyed the quiet so much.  _ He’s _ here and that’s all she wants right now, all she wants for the rest of her life. Poe makes her happy, secure, calm. He’s the stars that she fantasizes about flying to, he’s the song that she doesn’t quite understand, he’s the sun shining over the frozen streets below, he’s everything to her. 

It hits her all at once. 

 Poe’s so drawn to her. He’s been with people before, made women laugh and blush, kissed until he had no oxygen left, heck, he’s even been engaged before. Nothing comes close to Rey. No one compares, no one even hits the same scale. She’s the light that keeps him from stumbling in the dark, the honesty he needs, she’s real and bright and alive and he can’t keep himself away. Sitting with her here, her head in his lap, her eyes fixed on his, her lips pulled into the most radiant of smiles, he loses it. 

 It’s all so fast, Poe reaches out to pull her upright, her legs behind his torso as they’re now face to face. He searches her eyes to make sure this is okay, this is what she wants, and he must find it because it only takes moments before his lips brush against hers.

 It’s like a lightning strike to Rey. As soon as she feels his delicate skin against hers, she’s been hurled into a storm. Poe takes this energy and kisses her again, stronger, more assured. Rey’s hands run to his hair, holding him gently in place. 

“Is this okay?” his voice is raspy, begging. 

“Yes,” she exhales and leans her forehead against his. 

This is okay and makes sense to her. 

 Poe moves quicker knowing she’s given her blessing, touching her back, her hips, her hair, her cheek, anything he can as he shifts so their embrace is pulled deeper. Rey just about yelps as her grabs her around the waist lifts her up, her arms looping around the back of his neck. Poe keeps her there, moving his lips from her lips to her jaw. Rey gaps in surprise as he follows a path from her ears to her neck along her skin. 

 “Rey,” he breathes, “there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you,” picking up exactly where he’s left off once he finishes speaking. 

 “What’s that?” she shivers, his voice sends chills down her spine. 

 Poe smiles as he pulls away from her to put a hand to her cheek and look her in the eyes, “I think Finn has a crush on you.” She stares at him in silence until he presses quick kiss to her mouth, “just kidding, it’s me,” and goes back to wandering her lips.

 She laughs and smiles against him, pulse rushing in a whole new way than it ever has before. His hands slide to her hips and he pulls himself up, bringing her alongside him. The two bodies breach through the blanket roof of their fort and Rey giggles as Poe frustratedly sighs. 

 “Finn would be pissed if he knew we made out in our pillow fort anyway,” the man quips, Rey misses his heat instantly. 

 “He’d probably be even more upset if he walked in here right now,” she bites her lip, Poe watches her, a rush of new desires to kiss as much of her as he can flowing through his veins. He smiles boyishly and grabs her hand, fingers entwining instantly. He says nothing as he brings them to her room and leads her inside. 

 As soon as she turns to close the door, he presses her to it and she kisses him back with as much ferocity as she can muster. “In case you’re wondering,” he pants in between exchanges of kisses, “this is what I wanted to do on Valentine’s Day.” 

“I figured,” Rey nods. 

 He pulls her from the door towards the bed and Rey breaks their embrace to look at him, “Poe, I’m not ready-”

 “Shh, princess, I know,” he soothes, “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or do anything you don’t want to do. I just want to be with you tonight, if that’s okay with you,” he runs a finger from her brow to her jaw and she melts. 

“I’m not as experienced as you or as good as probably any of the people you’ve dated at romantic stuff,” Rey admits quietly, “maybe this isn’t a good idea after all.” 

 Hurt flickers through Poe’s eyes for a moment, he grabs Rey’s hand and brings it to his heart. “Do you feel that?” The man’s quickening heartbeat pounds against her small hand. “You did that, you’ve been doing that since the moment I saw you, beautiful.” His lips crash against hers, him trying his best to express exactly how she makes him feel without using his words.

 Poe is great with words, but words are too weak to tell her how much she means to him. He doesn’t know how to string sentences together that reflect how fast his heart beats when she walks into the room, how nervous he gets about her thinking of men other than him, how much he wants to hold her every minute of everyday. She’s so beautiful, so right. 

 His hips shift against hers, he reaches for anything he can get his hands on, fingers tight around her waist as he whispers every nickname he’s ever given to her in between kisses. 

 Rey groans at the friction of his skin against hers, lights dancing behind her eyes at the sound of his voice and lack of breath due to his attention purely on her. She moves her body to reflect his and he curses out loud, “kriff’s sake, Rey, Mother of Kwath!” 

 He pulls away from her, using every last bit of strength he has, “we should slow down, sunshine, we have all the time in the world. We don't need to rush.” 

 Rey nods as she tries to catch her breath and he pulls her into an innocent embrace, simply wrapping his arms around her. 

“Oh, sunshine,” he whispers as he picks her up and places her in her bed. He turns to lie down next to her but Rey’s silent frown towards his shirt catches his eye. “Does this bother you?” He laughs, pulling on the collar of the gray material.

“A little bit,” the girl quietly admits while Poe smiles, fierce pride written all over his features as he winks at her and yanks the garment off. 

 His upper body is the most amazing thing she has ever seen, he’s tan, muscular, so strong and yet soft. Rey pulls him into a goodnight kiss, gentle and lingering, Poe certainly doesn't reject that.

“I love you, sweetheart” he whispers as he covers every part of her body with his own and presses his lips to the crook of her neck so softly she can barely feel it.

“I love you too, flyboy” she smiles, eyes sparkling with so much joy that he knows he won’t think of anything else for the next week but that. 

 Poe beams, “goodnight, darling.” Rey presses a kiss to his cheek and returns to her position on his chest. 

The moment is perfect.  _ They’re not just friends. _

 

Poe wakes up first, confused as to how he got where he is before finding the very beautiful girl draped very much across him. He doesn't want to move, content to cherish the feeling of Rey curled around his middle, his chin on top of her head, their arms laced together.  _ And she loves him.  _

 She taken up such a big role in his mind for so long, growing everyday. Now she's here, kissing him and claiming him. Poe grins and kisses the top of her head. 

“Good morning, Princess,” he hums as he rolls above her to capture her lips lazily. Rey softly moans and reaches for him, eyes still shut in favor of sleep. 

 “I gotta go make breakfast, sweetheart , it's time to wake up,” he rubs his thumb against her temple and kisses her cheek. 

 Rey shakes her head and pulls him back and he begins to maneuver out of bed, “stay,” her eyes squint in the early morning light. He doesn't need to be told twice, pulling her back against his chest for more sloppy embraces. “Stay,” Rey repeats quietly. 

“Darling, you know I'll stay forever,” he soothes, pulling her into a sweet kiss filled with promises he’ll never break. 

All of their moments are perfect and whole. 

_ Lovers. _


	2. of stargazing & birthdays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they date they love each other a lot a lot a lot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dates dates dates dates

It’s the cool night air flowing from the open window that keeps her sane.

 Rey’s standing against her wall, hands in her hair as Jessika curses and accidentally breaks a tube of lipstick. It’s been a stressful night. The brunette’s best friend is over to help her prepare for her first real date out with Poe, an idea that still seems unfathomable to Rey. They’ve been romantically tied for about a week now but it was earlier today that Poe finally suggested they move their encounters outside the apartment.

 

It had happened at lunch.

The trio, Finn, Rey, and Poe, were all sitting at a table in their usual local restaurant. The couple sitting next to each other, Poe’s hand is trained on Rey’s thigh, her ankle is hooked around his. Finn, however, was babbling away obliviously.

 Poe nods towards his best friend and murmurs a “yeah,” or “mhm,” every now and then, all the while stealing gazes at his other roommate.

“But anyway,” Finn finishes up, “I just thought you’d find that interesting, aerospace dynamics and all.”

“Oh, right, very, thank you, Finn,” Rey snaps out of her trance and smiles.

 The younger man grins with pride as he slides out of his seat, “I’m going to run to the bathroom real quick.”

“Have fun!” Poe calls after him before turning to Rey and pressing a kiss to her cheek. He’s beaming, radiating love and adoration and it’s all for her. Rey leans against his shoulder, humming a familiar tune.

“Hey,” he nudges her to look up at him and leans in so that their foreheads are pressed against each other, “I want to take you out.”

Rey laughs, “you do?”

“I would like to, can I pick you up at eight?” he slyly grins, hand sliding up to brush hair out of her face.

The woman giggles and nods, “I think I’m available then, any specifications on where we’re going?”

“Just wear your favorite dress,” he presses quick kiss to her forehead and goes back to his previous position as Finn rejoins the group.

“I’m always amazed by how nice those bathrooms are, can we get a sink like that?”

 

That’s how she got here, being treated like Jessika’ barbie doll.

 “Rey, I swear if you don’t sit still I’m going to give you bright orange eyeshadow,” the girl gives her best friend a harsh glare. Rey sucks in a breath and does her best to hold still after that.

 The young woman is borrowing a softened, rose-pink sundress from Jessika, the material blending with her pale skin wonderfully. “Honestly, just keep this, it looks better on you,” Jessika mutters through a mouth full of bobby-pins.  

“Thanks, Jess,” Rey pats down a pull wrinkles on the material.

 The smaller woman takes a strand of Rey’s hair and pulls it to the back of her head, “another thing out of my closet lost to your perfect body. Hey, where’d you say he was taking you again?”

 Rey shrugs, “he won’t tell me, remember? He said he wanted it to be a surprise, the jerk.” Jessika lets out a snort and lowly laughs, shaking her head and then laughing again.  “What?” Rey exclaims.

 “Nothing,” the woman laughs again, “I just remembered Poe told me yesterday. You’ll like it I swear.”

The brunette frowns and turns around to face her friend, “can you give me a hint, please?”

 Jessika smiles, “I’ll tell you this, it’s the most Poe thing Poe would ever do. Don’t be surprised if he asks you to marry him too.”  Rey’s lips pull further downward and she turns back to see her reflection. “Alright, I’m done with your hair and most of your makeup. I assume you know how to put on lipstick and mascara so I’ll just go see if your date’s here yet,” Jessika winks and slides out the door. Rey groans in frustration.

 

“Jess!” Finn greets, smiling as the woman crosses past his position on the couch. “Looking for something?”

Jessika frowns, “Poe, what time is it?”

“He left for errands, he wants to actually pick her up tonight so I doubt he’ll be here before eight,” the man shrugs, turning back towards Rey’s door, “is she ready?”

 At the exact moment, the door opens and a beautiful, radiant young woman steps out. Jessika beams in pride while Finn looks her over, pure admiration is his eyes. “Poe won't last five minutes,” Jess smirks and crosses her arms over her chest.

“Please, he won't make it past the door. Rey, you look gorgeous,” her roommate offers, a grin pulling his lips upward.

“Thank you, is he here yet?” Rey’s face is twisted into a nervous smile, her eyes constantly flickering from her friends to the door. “I don't know why I feel so nervous,” she admits, “it's just Poe.”

Jessika slyly smiles, “it'll be fun, don't worry, he’ll take care of you. Aw, it’s like my two babies are growing up,” the young woman beams at her best friend, hands clutching her heart dramatically.

 Finn opens his mouth to add onto Jess’s comment  but a soft knock at the door silences him. Everyone’s focus snaps to the doorway, Finn and Jessika flashing brilliant grins as Rey laughs nervously and heads towards the entrance. She turns the doorknob quickly, anxiety pulling her in every direction.

 Poe’s breath is swept away the moment he sees Rey standing in front of him, revealing her flowing sundress dress and brunette hair pulled perfectly up to crown her head. The girl’s timid expression immediately washes away the minute his eyes meet hers and he grins; she melts. Poe’s in a nice, white button up, a tie hanging from his collar and he shakes his head as he looks her up and down.

“Beautiful, sunshine,” there's a genuine sense of awe in his expression and Rey doesn’t fail to catch it.

“Not bad yourself, Mr.  Dameron,” she laughs, all nerves and anxiety suddenly gone.

 Poe grins at her comment and leans forward to offer his arm, “shall we?” Laughter bubbles out of Rey’s throat as she accepts his arm and turns back to wave off her friends. “I’ll have her back in a few!” Poe calls out back into the apartment.

“Bring her back before curfew!” Finn laughs as Poe winks at the two of them and shuts the door behind the couple.

 Rey turns to him as soon as they’re alone and furrows her brow, “will you finally tell-” Poe cuts her off swiftly with a kiss, pulling her into a loose embrace and capturing her lips fiercely before leaning back to flash her his signature smile.

 “It's a surprise, love,” he shrugs seemingly innocently and grabs her hand to pull her down the hall.

 

 Their talk is small as he ushers her into his car. He's a perfect gentleman, opening her door and pressing a kiss to her cheek before sliding over BB8’s hood to reach his own seat. Rey laughs the entire way to dinner, admiring the way he keeps one hand on the steering wheel and the other on her leg. Poe’s so proud to have her with him, he almost feels undeserving.

 He takes her to a nice restaurant downtown, one she’s only seen in passing here and there. She orders pasta and he pays, winking at her from across the table. The young woman rolls her eyes every time he makes a suggestive comment towards her.

 They’re two people in sync, moving with one another, working in harmony, they laugh at every joke, smile at every side comment, Poe’s falling harder and harder by the second.

“Alright,” Rey has to catch her breath from laughing, “your turn, favorite song?”

 Poe’s eyebrows knit together in contemplation, “that’s rough, I’m a big Tears for Years fan, one of their hits, probably, what about you?”

“I beg to differ, you blasting Beastie Boys every morning and all,” Rey grins teasingly.

 The man raises his hands in defense, “hey, that’s only when I have to get up early. You have nowhere to talk, Miss “my alarm is the entire early discography of Britney Spears.”

Rey mockingly scoffs and shakes her head, it’s everything she’s ever wanted and all at one table.

  


“That was the best meal I've ever had,” Rey smiles as they walks out hand in hand later, “thank you for this, Poe.”

“Sweetheart, you think it's over?” He laughs and tugs her towards his car, so excited that it spreads quickly to her.

Rey bites her lip as soon as she's seated, grabbing his hand again and pulling it towards her, “Poe Dameron, tell me what else you've got planned right now.”

 “Well,” Poe leans closer to her, entwining their fingers and giving her hand a light squeeze, “it’s still a surprise.” The man steals a kiss from her lips before she can protest and begins driving to their next destination.

 

 There’s a blanket set out for them in Rey’s favorite park. It’s on a hill, closest to the stars above, Poe’s favorite spot. The three roommates frequently visit the area, studying in the spring and sledding in winter. It was a place of happy memories, and Poe was looking forward to creating more.

“Ladies first,” he smiles, gesturing to the thick quilt laid out below them. Rey smiles and takes a seat, leaning into Poe as he takes his place beside her. The man’s arms wrap around her thin figure beside him, pulling her as close as he can until she’s sitting in his lap. Poe’s pressing soft, butterfly kisses to Rey’s check and into her hair as she hums a vaguely familiar melody.

 “Look at the stars,” the brunette points up to the night sky, tracing constellations with her finger, “this one’s my favorite.”

 Poe turns his head so that he can share her field of vision, searching the sky before turning his gaze back to her, unable to contain the smile that tugs on his lips. The stars are her crown, anointing her with all the royalty and elegance she carries with her. “I’ll fly to space one day and bring you back all of them,” he promises, running a hand through her hair.

 Rey leans her head back to see him, grinning at the sight of him upside down, “but where would I keep them?”

“In a jar,” Poe smiles, “though honestly, I think you already have a few in your eyes,” he winks and Rey blushes. “Hey,” he lowers his tone and set his hands on her waist, pulling her off of him so that they’re now facing each other, “I wanted to ask you something.”

 The brunette bites her bottom lip, curiously meeting his eyes as he pulls a bag out from behind him, he silently retrieves two small telescopes and a speaker. “Since we’re already looking at them, will you go stargazing with me?” the man has such a boyish grin on his face that Rey can’t even think of refusing him, grinning as she takes the spyglass and lays down, aiming for the sky.

 Poe lays down besides her, hooking an ankle around hers, it’s a position they’ve come accustomed to. Their free hands slip into each other’s, somehow always able to find one another. Rey teaches Poe different constellations and he pretends that he doesn't already know them all by heart, nodding along and repeating all their names alongside her against his eighties playlist humming from the speaker.

 

 Eventually they label every single star in the night sky and Rey yawns as she flops over the man’s chest. He chuckles lightly and runs his hands up and down her back, soothing stress points and drawing lazy circles on her shoulder blades.

 “I don't wanna leave,” Rey mumbles from her position across Poe.

 “I don't either,” he admits freely, “but there is one last thing I need to ask you before it gets too late to be out here.”

 Rey sits up at this, patting her hair down as she looks to him expectantly. Poe nervously laughs, his charismatic and free-flowing nature sudden failing him as he freezes up, “would it- would it be too high school to ask you to be my girlfriend?” The man takes her hand in his and laces their fingers together.

 The young woman’s grin in uncontainable, “of course not!” she laughs and squeezes his hand.

“In that case,” Poe exhales a long awaited breath, “Rey, my sunshine, my Rey of sunshine, will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend and letting me care for you indefinitely?”

“Poe Dameron, I would want nothing more,” her cheeks hurt from smiling and his face quickly mirrors her’s.

They're just two people in love right now and everything is okay.

 Rey throws her arms around her new boyfriend, giggling as his hands find her hips and pulls her down so that his back is against the ground and she's on top of him. “So we’re dating now,” he beams with pride and she leans down to kiss him.

“I thought we already were?” The brunette runs her fingers through his hair and he looks up to her as if she is the moon guiding the waves of the ocean.

“Well, now I officially belong to you,” he shrugs, so devoted in his love for her that it gives her chills. The man pulls her down to him for a few more kisses, pressing his lips tenderly to her jaw before she pushes away and looks at the world around them.

“There’s people looking,” Rey whispers.

 Poe doesn't whisper back, simply content to brush a few stray hairs back behind her ear, “they're jealous because I have you.”

 Rey almost loses it then and there, between soft kisses and tender words, he knows exactly what makes her swoon, and she appreciates that. Just not here right now.

“Let's go home, sound good? We can pick this back up,” he sighs, pulling her back against him for one more kiss, one more lingering and intimate, both only breaking apart to catch their breaths.

“Perfect.”

 

 Rey wakes up the next morning in her boyfriend’s bed, yet no boyfriend to be found. His blankets are so warm, working extremely well with the cloudy New York sky to provide the essential amount of comfort.

 The brunette rolls over to find a sticky note on the pillow, stained by Poe’s messy handwriting, ‘ _Out with Finn, I’ll bring home lunch, Jess wants you to call her, love you.’_ The words bring a smile to her face, an intense appreciation of the two favorite men in her life burns in her mind. Rey gets out of bed easier after that, sending Poe a text to let him know she was awake. It’s only ten o’clock, the day is young and so is she.

 After that it’s a hot cup of tea and a an hour long phone call with Jessika, who doesn’t understand the concept of “small talk” or anything of the sort. Finn and Poe come back home a few minutes after their conversation ends, both men laughing at something that had happened on their outing.

 Poe waits until Finn has left to put something in his room to take his girlfriend into his arms and press a kiss to into her hair. Rey pulls his face down to actually reach his mouth for a real kiss, sighing against his skin. “Good morning, my love,” Poe mumbles against her cheeks before pressing a quick kiss to the delicate skin there and spinning her out of his arms as Finn trudges back into the room.

“Good morning, lazer brain,” Rey faintly blushes as the smile he gives her, “where have you two been this morning?”

“We went for a run around Central first,” Finn recalls, “then we went and had breakfast at this really sketchy diner downtown.”

Poe interrupts, “I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“After that, we went and bought new curtains for the living room and then grabbed lunch and brought it home,” Finn finishes, proud of the morning’s events.

 The young woman laughs, “you two went and bought curtains?” Both men nod enthusiastically as they reach into a plastic bag and pull out, sure enough, pale blue curtains. “Who even are you two?” Rey shakes her head and grins.

“Really great roommates,” Poe shrugs.

 

They hadn’t just bought curtains.

 Rey’s birthday was in less than two weeks, something the two boys had had to dig for to find, as Rey refused to either when the date was. It had been Finn who found it, shuffling through one of her old wallets to find a promotional birthday card to a Mexican food restaurant from years ago. Now both roommates had been planning mode since, putting together as much as a surprise party as they could.

 After breakfast, Poe had suggested buying her birthday present, which Finn had quickly and excitedly agreed to. From her boyfriend, Rey would receive a necklace, engraved with their apartment number, from their other roommate, the young woman would be given a fuzzy set of pajamas with dogs on them. Both men beamed in pride of their selections.

“Should we get something else so that she doesn’t suspect anything?” Poe suggested.

Finn nodded, “what’s something nonchalant?”

“Hey,” the older man shrugged, “the living room needs new curtains.” Both men smirked at their new secret.

 Poe spent the rest of the day playing with the silver chain in his pocket. He ran this thumb against the “401” burned into the metal plate connected to the necklace, the sensation giving him such a comforting feeling. This is their home, it’s where they all became such close friends, where he fell in love, where they live. The man smiles at the thought of how happy it’ll make Rey, that’s all he wants.

 

The days leading up to her birthday is a blur. Rey doesn’t say anything hinting towards it, and Finn’s a little bit convinced that maybe even _she_ doesn’t know when it is.

 Poe’s tasked with decorating the apartment with Jessika while Finn distracts Rey. He’s taking her on a bike ride through the city, something she’s wanted to do since she moved here. Meanwhile, Jessika pulls cupcakes out of the oven and Poe’s on top of a ladder to hang a large banner that reads ‘Happy birthday, Rey!’ in big, glittery letters.

“Do you think she’ll like this?” the man asks nervously, stepping down to inspect his work.

“I think she’ll be a little shocked at first, surprised, maybe a little overwhelmed,” Jessika nods, “but I know she’ll appreciate it, even if she doesn’t say so.”

 Poe bites his bottom lip, “agreed. Did you bring anything to drink?” The smaller woman smiles, pulling a few fancy bottles out of her bag with a devious smirk on her face, Poe lets out a small chuckle. “How long have we been friends, Pava?”

“Maybe too long,” she admits and they both laugh at that.

 

 The wind rushes through Rey’s hair as she passes Finn’s bicycle and she grins. “You better catch up!” she calls out and Finn peddles furiously to do so.

 Today’s the day and she knows it. Abandonment day. She’s lost count at what anniversary it is, but she knows it’s today. However, with the way the day has played out so far, it might not be as bad as she thought it would be.

 The boys had certainly been acting weird. Finn suggested they go on a bike ride and Poe bowing out quickly, saying he had other things to do that required immediate attention. Rey had frowned at him, (which internally made him a wreck because he hated lying to her), but accepted his refusal and happily left with her other best friend.

“Finn, this is amazing!” Rey laughs as she pulls over next to a bike rack outside a small cafe. “Are you hungry?” she gestures towards the building, “or we could go home and eat with Poe.”

 The man quickly stumbled over his words, “what- oh- no, this is fine! I love this place anyway, let’s just grab something here, I’m sure Poe’s still busy.” The two parked their bicycles and stepped into the warm restaurant, Finn’s stomach growling as soon as they sat down.

“Thank you, Finn, for the bicycles, I’ve literally always wanted to that,” Rey smiles at her roommate across from her.

“Anything for you, sunshine!” Finn grins back at his best friend.

 

An hour later, Finn gets the ‘all clear’ text from their missing roommate and hastily drags Rey back to their apartment, excited and nervous energy making him even more clumsy than before.

 Poe stands waiting behind the couch, trying his best to engage in a conversation with one of his and Rey’s mentors, Mrs. Organa-Solo. Leia smiles at the man, shaking her head as she tells him to calm down. “She’ll love it, Poe, stop acting so jittery.”

“What if she’s upset that Finn and I went behind her back to find her birthday?” Poe rubs his face with his hands, cursing himself internally.

“Trust me, no girl has ever been too angry at her boyfriend for spending a little extra time on her,” the woman pats his arm and Poe turns back to her panicked.

“She told you?” he furrows his brows.

 Leia chuckles and nods at the necklace he’s now fiddling with again, “no one had to tell me, Mr. Dameron.” Poe’s mouth opens to speak again but sighs in defeat. The older woman laughs as her husband trails up to the two.

“Hey, kid, you take care of her, okay?” Han Solo rolls up and raises a brow. “She’s the best out there.”

Poe nods quickly, “yes sir, I know.”

“I used to say there was no one out there in the whole universe who deserved her,” he looks down to his wife, who nods in agreement, “in fact, I still stand by that. But you’re the closest shot we’ve got.”

 Poe grins brilliantly with pride at that, “thank you sir, she’s very special to me.” The younger man tries his best not to shrink back at Han’s intimidating stare and almost sings praises when Jessika grabs him away from the conversation,

“They just pulled in and should be here any minute,” Jess flashes an excited grin, “Poe, stop worrying, she will love this. She loves you.”

 A few minutes later there’s a knock at the door and the entire group of people freeze, nervously quiet at the door creaks slowly open. Finn’s first into the room and lights up once he sees everyone.

As soon as Rey steps through the threshold, she pales.

 “Happy birthday!” comes the cry of Finn, Han Solo, Leia Organa-Solo, Luke Skywalker, Chewie, Jessika, and Poe, who stands in the middle of it all. Huge smiles erupt on all of their faces, each conveying exactly how loved she is.

 Rey’s stunned. She looks to Finn, who nudges her coaxingly towards the group of people. Poe breaks out from the rest to test the waters, pulling her into a light embrace. “Happy birthday, darling,” he whispers into her ear and then steps back to watch her reaction.

 A slow, awkward silence passes over the room before Rey clears her throat and steps forward, a tear slipping down her cheek, “you all… did this for me?” Poe nods and loops an arm around her.

“Is this okay?” he asks nervously.

“It’s amazing,” Rey chokes out and everyone returns to smiling towards her, now all resuming the livelihood of a party and coming to give her their wishes.

 Leia pulls Rey into a hug, pushing a strand of hair out of her face as she smiles fondly, “happy birthday, dear. We are so glad we found you.” Han gives her a pat on the back and smirks, which Rey reflects, even through her watery eyes.

 Jessika comes up next, almost picking up the poor girl off the ground  in a fierce hug, “happy birthday, gorgeous! I can’t believe you kept this from everyone. Do you love the decorations? Poe and I did them.”

“You and Poe did all of this?” Rey bites her lip.

“It was all Poe’s idea, he planned it all, of course,” Jess dramatically gestures to the man pouring himself a cup of scotch at the counter.

 The brunette shivers as chills run up her spine, at a loss for words by how much this man truly cared for her.

 

The festivities lasted several hours, the group going until Han was drunk and a clock chimed two AM.

 Poe found Rey in her room, gliding across her carpet in her new set of pajamas to get to her bed. He leaned across her doorpost, rapping his knuckles softly against the wood frame. “Hey, princess, can I spend some time with the birthday girl?” Rey whips around with the brightest twinkle in her eyes.

 “Poe,” she whispers and he finds his way to her, taking her into his strong arms, “thank you so much,” a fresh set of tears stream from her eyes and Poe whispers soothing words into her hair as he runs a hand up and down her back.

“Happy birthday, Rey,” he leans his forehead against hers, lovingly pressing kisses to each tear falling down her skin. "Hey, I have something for you," Rey wipes her eyes and shakes her head.

"You've already given me the world," she laughs. 

  Poe takes out a jar and hands it to her, lovingly gazing at her as she inspects it. It's full of paper stars and Rey starts tearing up all over again. "Open it," he nudges her. When she takes the top off, a silver chain hangs from it, a circle stamped with the numbers "401" in the middle, their home. Rey giggles at the sight and leans back into her boyfriend's chest.

"You gave me the stars and you gave me our home," she embraces him fiercely. 

She’s never been happier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! Please leave a kudos or a comment if you liked it! I love hearing from everyone :)

**Author's Note:**

> y'all i got so many ideas for these two, expect more coming.


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